When I was a little girl I had a book called something like, ‘The Most Beautiful Child’.
In the book, a peacock has forgotten to send his child with their lunch so he asks his friend the owl to take it into school as she is heading that way.
“But how will I know which one is your child?” The owl asks.
“Oh that’s easy,” says the peacock, “Give it to the most beautiful child there.”
The owl nods and sets off. When she gets to the school she searches and searches but can not find the little peacock so she hurries back to tell her friend.
“But all you had to do was find the most beautiful one!” Peacock grumbles.
“Oh I did” said owl. “I searched and searched, but there were none more beautiful than my own.”
I loved this story as a kid. It made an awkward, clumsy, chubby little girl feel just a bit more beautiful. Not quite such an ugly duckling.
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July 2nd, 2010 at 12:46 am
What a beautiful story and one to remember to tell the boys
July 2nd, 2010 at 5:41 pm
It’s sweet isn’t it Madhouse. I loved it as a kid. I’ve been trying to find a copy though and all I can come up with is that it originates from an old Greek Folk Tale called ‘The Most Beautiful Child’.http://www.greekspider.com/greek_folk_tales/beautifulchild.htm
I’m sure in the version I had it was an owl and a peacock but they tell of an owl and a partridge. I’d love to find one for my girls.
July 2nd, 2010 at 12:49 am
Aaaaaaaaand….tears. What a lovely story x
July 2nd, 2010 at 5:42 pm
It’s lovely isn’t it Baking Mad Mamma. I wish I still had it.
July 2nd, 2010 at 1:06 am
What a great story. I’m going to tell that one to Tops I think.
July 2nd, 2010 at 5:43 pm
It’s fab isn’t it? So so lovely. I’ll have to tell it to my two.
July 2nd, 2010 at 1:42 am
Ahh, that’s a lovely story. We have followed a family of ‘ugly ducklings’ recently – from being on the nest to recently spotting them all, with three signets, swimming merrily away on the canal. So lovely for the boys to see this.
July 2nd, 2010 at 5:45 pm
Hee hee me too. This is a family of five cygnets. The Dad guards them so carefully it’s amazing. Their tiny wings are so funny, they seem to make them move in such an odd way on land, like little hunched up old men.
July 2nd, 2010 at 5:37 am
I’ve never heard that story but I think I made up a similar one to tell my children
July 2nd, 2010 at 5:45 pm
I wouldn’t be surprised Akela, being the wise Mummy you are. It meant a lot to me. I can still picture the illustrations. Hope you’re ok. xxxx
July 2nd, 2010 at 10:30 am
Oh, but I’m sure that you were the most beautiful child!
July 2nd, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Nope, I was definitely an ugly duckling…or at least a bit of a late bloomer. Ta though Spence.